Fountain toothbrush having builtin air pump for feeding dentifrice from reservoir tobristles



May9,195o l 2,507,419

` L. F. PERWAS y FOUNTAIN TOOTHBRUSH HAVING BUILT-IN AIR PUMP FOR FEEDING DENTIFRICE FROM RESERVOIR TO BRISTLES Filed June 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTE R N EYS May 9, 1950 L. F. PERwAs 2,507,419

FOUNTAIN IooTHBRUsl-x HAVING BUILT-IN AIR PUMP FOR FEEDING DENTRIFICE 45 FROM RESERVOIR TO BRISTLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 6, 19

l `66 66 6a. w45 61.? 63

l INVENTOR.

Patented May 9, 1950 FEEDI-NGL-DENTIFRICE 'roiRIsTLEs Y y,Ludwig lg"" 1?erwas, `New York, N, VY; ApplicationJune 6, 1945,-Serial No .-59 7,-748 v, 1 claim. (ohm-.fissi 1 a:Myapresentginvention.; in; `its -lnrdad-v aspect, `has r-efereneetofE improvements in fountain teeth --bmshee and, is; characterized ley,V .tnefprosfision f animproved-dispensing brush. head communicatineqwith dentifrice reservoirV initheshandlefef i the brush, and a control valvetdbe set tor-.dispense dentifrice or refill with dentifr-ice,-and to @withdraw remaining; dentifreefrom the brush .-liead1 after a 'duantityhasibeenfdeposited-.onine "-,fbr-.istlea andwherein; .animproved eearz pinne iS.- pernnloired tov @create pressure .Y in g -the dentifrice -f servoir-,gor towithdrawgair andkcreate Vsuction -in-.the dentifriee.- reservoir,v depending onwhether V-A.dentifrice is .toibe expelled, from: or draifrn into fthe reservoir....-My -brusn-and-wcap are. oval in"` across sedi-ioniv and the cap.; fits nnen-within@ andletofenelese the. brush-head; and lz-prcvide Aan.;improved leitender-holding V-the een in place- .Eu-rthermore, I; provide .an iin-proved` operating means for-the gear pump inthe-form ofv a knurled ,t zx-nut Land associated; parta and.; @patine- Seating" plates-:for insuring lthe proper;-l operation of the Igear-purnp, and .novelandimproved-:means -for ,relling rthe reservoir through Vthe dentifrice-:pas- ,sages inthe'brushL-head.- My device isfrelatively l simplerr-practicalf.and willnot leakrwhen not in euse, and may -v be .conveniently. carried, in the .pocket; and-:there are-ng-parts-likely to-get Iout Qi-'Order 0r tQfbeGOme-.broken- Other and g equally ,impor-tant nObjects and adantages of.my` invention .will beu-apparent. from helfollowingidescription and drawings, and it is pointedout that changes in pierna?- size, l shape, r;materials, land construction,rand-arrangement of parts-are permissible; and rwitnin the purview of .,simy; broad inventiveh concept; andthe-scope o1- the e-appendedgclaim.

Inthe dra-wings; wherein I :have-shown a pre- `ferredfforrn of(l my@ invention- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section; ...Figure 2 a- -long-itudina1 section with the device turned 90j from themposition shown in Figure 1;

:Figure 3- is an enlarged section showing-l the threaded bristle supportingdisk-andV dentifrice: channels-as mounted in the brusnhead;

Figure 4 is a top plan Viewl of the bristle sup- 'n porting disk;

Vlg- Figure is a detail viewof the control needle igvalve; Figure 6 is anY enlarged section showing-the ,.controlyalve in'operatng position, andthe-cap latching mechanism; e

`Figure 17 is a detail of thecap -latching-Udeyice, fthe cappavs,r; engagngusnryith the handlaend; il .the brush head shank; Figure s is a sectional-detail showing the gear pump, knurled nut and rod and operating nut, in position to discharge air into the dentifrice reservoir to create pressure;

Figure 9 is vagsection*-onrthefline- 9 9 v offvligvur@ l;

;;-fFigure l1Q, is a.-,section on.'` the :line lll-g-Illof YFiguIey 1; 5 ff Figure -11 -is a.;seQti0i1-OI1,f-1ihe line llfllzof ,Figure-;

:zFgurei-lZ-is a plan Vview-vofthefrcoveroyer the --eteare-pumpA compartment;

:fifFiguree-ild is detail-.;sh0Wi.ne-the knnrled--Ilut 1o for operating the :rod to withdraw the Same -niiOr `Vto, oneratinge,-tlie :eeen-pump;

f: Figurer-14x; is a. fragmentary-:Sectional View 0i --th Y. .head actuating-nut- Ink the'vadrawingsL .wherein like;` charactersof 1 5 refe-ren013;;.dare-usedgto.; designatelike orf. similar aparts:

exflherf, nninerale Ifdesignates-gmy brush head ,--fwhieh is channeledasf-.at2; throughout a portion sofets length and-has threadediopennge 3f in its ybristleface-,V elich-l fgpwhich isz-*formed witljan annulaire-@Cess A:threaded', Banged5 removr-abieadisk is; engagedineeaehropenine 3 with r-fthefnaneefseaiina in thereeessd. i0- iie dusk erf-ith .,the-,face'fof the.lorush.-` Each diskl cai-'ries bristle 551; its iiiandv is provided -YW-th-.Wreiich recesses 1. .,'1hose;-dis ks vat"l th channel zare provdedw-ith port aeemmiinleetinefrein-the. Chienlielefsee V{Figures- 1,- andl 4.@ Thebrush-head has a reuen-Weich.-theehennei 2 sn nl; s threaded. to vreceive therej.; AdjacentdtheV end asher I iiadaptdto u -farin l J e .AJ conical cap e* A. recessed tof seat about aand-.ne .-.eemente c die a enler-iienee-" 0h the end-'.I3f-.of5the-vh idle nd--thenut iii-.extends through opening I1 hqlksides tlhereof tot. be accessible-f r-tu i gto-adjust, :the position of 40.,.the.` shfanlgjA-,and eadi; or;v l to remove the r` same. I@The .nd Qf vthe shanliff iS-:bereled--fer -erSeai-ffer the beveled-:end of a needle -valve-` l arme-Figures 2, .51e-and The--need1eva1ve1-hee a 1er-caes openi ngl9;-througl1 the-endend out thee-side ,elieloWL-.the callan-2 .Extending into :the Cylindri- ,cahchannel mtime-.end t3 isa beveled dane-,e 2i forming aavaJve Seatadorcthefval'vef4 I3., and, be- `tween'the flangeggandvcollar:29 is aspring-A 22 xwhich normally11nseats;theiVa1Ve.'- Aswill here- 5g-r` inatten-aappeani-the. autel n; iso- V.manipulated to -.v:.s1iglitly release or extend the-brush head to per- -rnit' .dull opening of, theecontrol-valve when-evacui-ating.- .the l channel n'2' 'of dentifrice :after the brush has been us-ednor..the=i1ike.

'f--f-The-diameter of--therend "3. ori-the `handle is dess thannthat of theha'ndle. I4,.and.the shoulder if i3d-onthe handle? M` is beveled, fand Athe edge of 1 the cap-124' being-beveled flits-*down -ush with the handle against the shoulder 23. At each side,

the end I3 is provided with openings 24 communicating with central bores 25. In each open- :lng is mounted a slidable plate 26, and each plate has a centrally located sleeve part 21, and an annular edge flange 28. The edge of the inner wall of the front end of the sleeve part 21 has an internally beveled inner flange 29. The back end of each sleeve seats in the opening 24, and a spring 39 presses against the end of the open'- ing and a disk 3I in the sleeve bearing against a ball 32 to project the ball against the flange 29 and beyond the forward end of the sleeve, and to urge the plate 26 out of the cavity to the limit determined by screws 33 engaged with the end. Recesses or depressions 34a are formed in the cap 24 to be engaged by the balls 32 in the closed position of the cap shown in Figure 1, at which time the plates are pushed in against the lsprings 30. The balls constitute' a novel latch, and when the cap is removed, as in Figure 6, the plates and balls are pressed out, the limit of outward movement of the plates being set by the screws 33.

The chamber 35 in the hollow handle I4 constitutes a dentifrice reservoir which lls and discharges or dispenses through the cavity I2 and channel 2 of the head. Mounted in the end of the handle is a pump casing 33 which is flanged as at 31 for attachment to the handle, and which has a hollow extension 38 formed with a threaded port 39 in its end communicating with the reservoir 35` Extending through a packing gland 40 back of the end of the extension is a threaded rod 4I with a pointed tip 42 which ts into the port 39, and which has a knurled nut 43 at its opposite end. The lower portion of the rod is somewhat enlarged as at 44 and is provided with side slots 45. A knurled nut 46 is mounted about the rod and has lugs 41 iitting in the slots-see Figure 13-and the rod 4I' also has a removable pin 48`see Figures 2 and 8-the Purposes of which will hereinafter appear. A gear pump comprising a large drive gear 49, a small driven pump gear 50, and another small driven pump gear I intergeared with the large gear by an idler 52 to rotate in the opposite direction as gear 50 is `mounted in the casing 36 with the respective gears 50, 5I and 52 rotating on pins 53 journaled in the end wall of the casing and in the floating plate 54-see Figure 1. Gear 49 is mounted on the tubular member 44 and has a recess 55 to be engaged by the pin 48 in the rod 4I. The floating plate 54 has edge packing 56 and ports 51 back of gears 59 and 5I communicating with air passages 58 leading to the slots in the member 44. A second floating plate 59 is mounted below plate 54 and packing 6I is 1ocated between the two plates, and a spring 62 in depressions in plates 54 and 59 press the plates respectively against the gear pump and the knurled nut 46, between which and the plate 59 is packing 33 thereby to completely seal the air pump. Air passes upwardly to the forward side of pump gears 59 and 5I through ports 64 in plate 54 from about the side edges of plate 59, nut 4B and slots 45 in member 4I in the direction of the arrows in Figure 11. The knurled nut 43 seats in the opening in the cover 65 which is attached to the pump casing by screws B6. Packing 61 is carried on the underside of nut 43 t0 seal against the upper face of nut 46.

In operation, the knurled nut I0 is manipulated to release or extend the head I so that the control valve I8 will be loosened to permit withdrawal of any dentifrice in channel 2 after use. To ll operates the gear pump to draw air through port 39 from the reservoir 35 whereupon the suction created draws dentifrice into the reservoir through the head. To dispense or fed dentifrice to the brush, the nut 43 is rotated in the opposite direction to force air through the port 39 to create pressure therein to cause dentifrice to ow through channel 2 to the bristles.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation and advantages of my invention will be apparent, but it is again emphasized that interpretation of the scope of my invention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claim.

I claim:

In a, fountain toothbrush having a brushing means, the combination therein of a handle, a dentifrice reservoir contained therein, conduit means placing said reservoir in communication with the brushing means whereby dentifrice may be supplied from said reservoir to the brushing means, an open-sided gear casing on said handle, pump gearing rotatably mounted in said gear easing, a iioating plate slidably mounted in the open side of said gear casing forming a, closure therefor, a backing means on said handle, resilient means between said floating plate and backing means forcing said floating plate against said pump gearing, an outlet passage connecting said gear casing to said reservoir whereby pressure created by said pump gearing in said gear casing determines the pressure acting on said dentifrice in said reservoir, said passage having an internally threaded port, a manually-operable rod slidably and rotatably extending through said pump gearing into said passage, a threaded portion terminating one end of said rod whereby said rod may be threaded into'said port for closing the same, separable clutch means on said pump gearing and said rod whereby-when said rod is axially slid from said port, said clutch means become operative to driver said pump gearing by said rod, whereby rotation of said rod causes rotation of said pump gearing thereby creating a pressure differential between said reservoir and the brushing means for causing movement of the dentifrice between said reservoir and the brushing means.

LUDWIG F. PERWAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name i Date 1,063,523 Farrar June 3, 1913 1,385,272 Purdy July 19, 1921 1,404,141 Rice Jan. 17, 1922 1,615,999 Perelman Feb. 1, 1927 1,813,359 Priest July 7, 1931 2,083,217 Brothers et al June 8, 1937 2,107,242 Gates Feb. 1, 1938 2,129,777 McGrath Sept. 13, 1938 2,317,111 Perwas Apr. 20, 1943 

